The invention relates generally to esophageal tubes and more particularly to an integral combination of tubes for respectively passing vomit from the stomach and air and anesthetic to and from the trachea with no intermixing.
In the administering of anesthetics there is always the danger of nauseating the recipient to cause vomiting. Any entrance of vomit into the lungs causes damage and maybe death, and therefore must be prevented. It is not always feasible to stop anesthesia during an operation, or even possible, and thereby ensure no vomit enters the recipient's lungs. The invention ensures the same result while continuing the anesthesia.
The prior art comprises endo-tracheal tubes and catheters that obstruct the mouth and pharynx and the free passage of vomit therethrough. Cuffs on endo-tracheal tubes are expanded at such low pressure for the prevention of necrosis and, because the alternating respiratory forces are low, there is no assurance that the much greater vomiting forces will not force vomit past endo-tracheal cuffs. See the following U.S. Pats. Goodyear, Nos. 3,731,692; McGinnis, 3,642,005; Sheridan, 3,605,750 and 3,625,793; Harautuneian 3,848,605; Basil, 3,884,242; Puig 3,481,339; Baran, 3,173,418; Jackson, 3,766,927 and 3,854,484; and Igich, 4,119,101.
A U.S. Pat. No. to Hewson et al, 3,905,361 for Apparatus For Sealing The Esophagus And Providing Artificial Respiration And Evacuating The Stomach is more in point. The differences with the invention comprises restrictive esophageal tube openings and a smaller esophageal tube adapted for use with stomach evacuator and to allow an additional endo-tracheal tube to be inserted in the trachea. Also a mask has been substituted for an upper cuff and that permits the tongue to close the pharynx against the entrance of air and anesthetic which requires removal of the face mask to correct and the possible entry of vomit through the unsealed nose and mouth. An article, The Esophgeal Obturator Airway, published in Chest 69: L Jan. 1976 issue describes similar apparatus except that the esophagus is plugged below the tracheal entrance and the esophageal tube is perforated at that area. Such plugging of the esophagus could cause the rupture thereof or of the stomach in case of naseau. Any of the foregoing unhappy ocurrences may result in a suit for malpractice and is a cause of anxiety to anesthetists.